This past semester has been one of the best yet. I started the year going to school early to lead a five day backpacking pre-orientation trip in the White Mountains for eight first-years. It was such an honor for me and my co-leader to be the first to welcome them to college and to watch them grow throughout their first semester. I ended up returning to the White Mountains frequently on weekends this semester as I am hoping to hike all 48 4,000 footers before I graduate. I feel really lucky that Tufts has a lodge in the Whites which makes that area much more accessible.

Academically I loved taking “Medical Anthropology” which further cemented my interest in studying medicine and disease from either a sociological or anthropological perspective. My professor became a mentor to me this semester and I spent many office hours chatting in her office. I feel so grateful for her support and guidance as I begin to contemplate what it is I want to do after Tufts. It is very exciting to have a space on campus to discuss books, questions and class topics on a subject I have found much joy in!

Outside of class much of my semester was preparing for my semester abroad in Cape Town, South Africa in the spring! I am beyond excited to be there and to have the opportunity to explore a new city, study South African history and to travel around the country. I will be studying at the University of Cape Town which I hope will help me meet African students and get a better sense of Cape Town’s culture and society. I am so grateful to MVYouth’s support both at Tufts and abroad. Thank you!

Sophomore year has been full of a wonderful mix of coming back to a group of old friends and communities on campus while also incorporating new faces and activities into my life here. I have had a rigorous and rewarding semester of classes which have shaped my decision to double major in community health and psychology. I am very excited about my future course of studies and look forward to combining these two majors to study my interest in mental health in marginalized communities. Outside of academics I have taken full advantage of Tufts’ outdoors club and enjoyed hiking the beautiful New England fall in the White Mountains during many weekends. I am excited to return to the mountains next semester covered in snow! I also have loved continuing to play on the club ultimate frisbee team and volunteering in a cognitive neuroscience lab on campus. I am so grateful for this opportunity to learn with wonderful and inspiring professors and classmates who exposed me to new ideas and challenge me every day. Thank you MVYouth for your generosity and for making my college experience possible. I can’t wait to see what the next two years have in store!

During my first semester, Tufts has proven itself to be the right school for me. Everyday my classes, friends and student groups at Tufts affirm my decision to become part of the Tufts community. Tufts thrives off the constant support students give to each other. I am strongly encouraged to try new things, which has caused me to join ultimate frisbee, take a class on Zen Buddhism and apply for lab positions as a freshman. Though I am in the library often, I truly enjoy almost all my readings and assignments. My professors this semester created engaging and challenging environments that I was excited to be a part of. After this semester, I am planning on majoring in biopsychology, and I am looking forward to exploring that field further. The process of finding a new community and interests has been very exciting, and I feel so grateful for the opportunity to be doing that at Tufts.

This year I decided to take a gap year to study in Jerusalem before attending Tufts University. I am part of a program of 39 American and Israeli teenagers studying, volunteering and interning together. Each day here reaffirms my decision to take time to develop my interests before diving into college life. I have been studying Jewish philosophy and texts alongside a wide range of people who constantly force me to question my own ideas and truths. Twice a week I volunteer with Eritrean refugees at an after school program. We are building personal bonds with them and it feels good to be a steady force in their lives. I am so grateful to MVYouth for giving me the opportunity to spend time learning about myself, my culture and my interests so I will be more mature and ready to fully seize my college experience next fall when my scholarship officially begins.